Clutch



1. CROWLEY, 1R.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV; l5, 1919'.

Pamfed Feb. 2n, 1922.

LAM.

W. CRQWLEY, 3R., @E HGO, XLLNS.

Leonesa.

Specification of Letters 'li'atentV Patented Feb. 21, i822.

Application le November 15, 1919. Serial Nc. 888,?i88.

To all whom t may cof/wem:

Be it lrnown that I, JOHN W. CROWLEY, dr., a citizenV of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification.`

The invention relates to clutches.

@ne of the objects is to provide a clutch in which one clutch member is yieldingly held between two similar members and provision of means to move the two latter members away from the intermediate member.

Another object is to provide means to automatically wedge the clutch members together against a yielding 'means arranged to automatically vbring them together.

Another object is to simplify and improve clutch structures.

' Other, furtherand more specific objects of the invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the followin description when taken in connection wit the drawin, wherein: p

ig. 1 is a section taken online 1--1 of Fig: 2. ig. v2l is a` transverse section taken on line2-2 fof Fig. 1. h

1n both views .the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

Inthe drawin 5 is represented as a driving member or s aft and 6 as a similar shaft or driven member. The clutch 7 ieldingly connects the membersvto ether. 'iYhe object sought is to provide a c utch, of improvedr construction, whichwill yieldingly connect two rotatable members together and so arrangedfthat any suddenly applied overload `will permit relative slipping of the members to avoid shockl whlohwould impose a dangerous strain to the power producing motor vand connecting transmission gearing.

" .The centrah'or intermediate member or disc 8, is arranged rto be bolted to a liy wheel 9, as by, bolts or'cap Ascrews 10, shown -in dotted lines.' The slidable clutch members lland 12in theillustrated embodiment, are the driven membersywhen the shaft 5 is directly connectedtor the power producing` source. The fly wheel may be connected to a han convenient the Harige may contain aball bearing strucother.

13 by screws 14.- and the flange con-v necte to the shaft@ `byhan l means, such as the key 15. T e hub 160i ture 17 to receive the reduced end 18 of the shaft 6.

In the illustrated clutch structure the transversely tapered disc 11 is shown to be an integral part oi the hub 20 and the disc 12 1s slidable on the hub., but is rotatably secured to the hub by parts 21 that enter spaced-apart grooves 22 ifn the hub 20, so that the discs 11 and 12 are rotatably lined, but are axially movable with respect to each Between `the discs 11 and 12 and loosely surrounding the hub 20 is a wearing ring 23, and bearing against the outer `surface of the wearing ring are three lugs 24C, that pass through openings 25 made between the disc 11 and the hub 20, so that when pressure is a plied, in an axial direction, to the outer en of the lug 24 the discs 11 and 12 are moved axially away from each other and out of contact with the intermediate disc 8. The disc 12 is moved on the hub and the disc 11 and hub 20 are moved on shaft 6. The reduced end 26, of the hub 20, is screw threaded, as at 27, and on the outer reduced end of the hub, axially adjustable thereon bycooperating screw threads, is a spring support or disc 28, having an annular roove to contain the ends of a series of elical sprin 29. The springs surround lugs 3Q projecting laterally from the disc 12, but the disc 28' is free to move circumferentially with respect to the springs, the springs sliding in the groove so that when the disc 28 is rotated upon the smaller end 26 of the hub 20, to approach more closely the disc 12, the tension of the springs 29 is thus increased and the clutch members 11 and 12 more frml held in Contact with the intermediate mem er 8. A wearin ring 31 of suitable character may be place between the discs 8 and 12, a rin of hard wood being a substance that is wel? suited for the purpose. The disc or ring 8 is transversely tapered across its diameter, so that ythe tapered surface is in a transverse plane, less than 90 degrees 'from its yaxis, as clearly shown in exaggerated form in Fig. 1, and a similar cooperating tapered confronting sur face is provided on the discV 11. Now iii-the discs 8 and 11 are rotatively displaced from the positions shown in Fig. l when the sprin press them together, greater stress will e ap lied to the springs 29 by the wedging e ect thus produced between the discs, but when the apex; or thickest parte or? lll@ the tapered surfaces come together, that is to say when the thickest portion of the two,

discs confront each other, maximum torque willbe transmitted through the clutch. If this torque is exceeded then the thicker portions of one 'of the clutching members 8 or 9 will be further rotatively displaced and the driven shaft 6 will not be so positively f of the bell crank lever carries a roller 36' sprm rotated. In the event that the overload. persists, this action will be repeatedand no damage will be done to the transmitting machinery, because the sprin 29 will force the parts together suiiicient y to transmit a `ven torque, which should be the maximum oad to be imposed upon the power producinvmeans., a

he lugs 24:, located in the openings'. 25,

through thedisc 11 and immediately above the hub 20, are each pushed inwardly by a bell-crank lever 32, which is pivoted, as at 33, and each has a laterally projecting heel 3el that immediately engages the respective lugs 24. There are three such structures,

' more clearly shown in Fig. 2, in the particular exemplification. The extended end 35 which rides upon an axially movable truncated cone 37, and when these rollers are in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the discs or rings il and 12ers forced apart and away from the intervening disc 8 and therefore the clutch is open and the springs 29 are under'increased tension effected by theV clutch o ening means. When the cone 37 is move toward the clutch, by the yoke lever 38, then the springs 29 will again orce the outer clutch members into contact with the intermediate member Tand power will be transmitted through the clutch mechanism. The hub 20 is rotatably secured to the shaft 6 by the feather 39, but is slidable to a limited extent thereon.' l

While I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention, for the purposeof clear disclosure, it will be manifest, to persons skilled in the art,that many changes ma be made in the general. arrangement van coni uration of the parts within the eenige of t e appended claims.

aving described my invention, what I 1. A clutch having in combinative association two axially movable rotatable members, one ofwhich has an engaging surface in4 a lane less than ninety degrees from its axis of rotation; an intermediate clutch member having a similar cooperating inclined surface; a spring to normally lhold the members in frictional engagement and means to separate the members and move them out of engagement with the intermediate member against the resistance of the 2. clutchl having in combinative' association two axially movablenotatable mem bers, one of which has -an engaging surface in a plane less than ninety degrees from its axis of rotation; an independently rotatable, intermediate clutch member having a similar cooperating, inclined ,.surface; a spring to normally hold. themembers in frictional engagement and means toy move both outer members from contact with the intermediate member against the resistance of the spring;

e, 3. A clutc having 1n lcooperatlve assoclation two Hat rings carried by a hub, for rotation therewith, one of which rings is axially to separate the outer engaging 'ringsvfrom the intermediate ring.

4. A clutch having.` in cooperative vassociation a hub slidableon shaft 6,"expanded at one end into a disc or "ring 11 and threaded at the other end; a ring, slidable onthe, hub, said rings forming clutch'members rotatable with they hub, one of which has its engaging surface inclined into' ak plane less than ninety degrees from its axis of rotation; an intermediate clutch memher having a similar cooperating inclined surface; a spring to hold the outer'rings in,

Contact with the intermediate ring; a lug, 24, passlngthrough the ring 11 to axially move the ringl 12 on the hub; allever con-` nected to the hub to move the hub on the'.

shaft and to move the ring on the hub, by

pressure applied thereby to said lug and v means to move said lever to disengage said clutch members.

5. A clutch having in combinative association a hub expanded at one end into a flat ring,A or disc clutch member, and slidable on a shaft; a spring support axially adjustable on the other end of the hub; a.

clutch member axially movable on the hub and rotatably connected to the first mentioned clutch member; a spring between the spring support and the second clutch-mem ber; a third clutch member between the first and second clutch members and means extending through the first clutch member to move the first and second 4clutch members out of contact with the third clutch member.

In testimony whereof rl1ereunto,subl

scribed my. name.

,JOHN w, CROWLEY, JR. 

